"Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance... Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). ...Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her." John 20:1, 16, and 18 NLT

Are you familiar with the hymn In the Garden? It's such a precious story of the kind of relationship we can have with the Lord. I love these beautiful words:

"And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known."

God is not a remote Creative Force nor is he a Great Judge in the sky. Yes, he is the Creator of the Universe, and he is a righteous God who will mete out judgment. But there is so much more to him! At Christmas and Easter, we marvel at the amazing truth of God becoming flesh and living among us and the tremendous sacrifice of his death to be our atonement.

But do we walk with him every day as we go about our busy lives? Are we aware of his presence as we come and go? Do we hear his voice whispering those healing words, "You are my own?" Do we experience the joy that comes from this intimate relationship with our Lord?

Sometimes I imagine God as a beloved father walking beside me through life. When I am afraid, he holds my hand. When I need guidance, he puts an arm around my shoulders and gently steers me in the right direction. God doesn't live in the church to be visited on Sunday morning. Invite him to walk with you.

"This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him." Psalm 91:2 NLT

Visualize the dreams that you hold dearest to your heart as sitting in your two hands. You know, those things that you long for with such fierce intensity that it takes your breath away. How tightly are you holding on to them?

If our happiness is hinged on the success of these dreams and God has a different plan for us, or has a different time table than we desire, happiness is beyond our reach. The trick is to hold these dreams loosely, to give them to God to fulfill, deny, or defer until a future date.

This is the basis of absolute trust. This is the most difficult--but important--lesson we can learn. To truly put our lives in his hands and accept whatever he gives us. To know, deep in our souls, that he loves us and is at work for our ultimate good.

Now visualize the pain that you carry resting in your hands. How tightly are you holding on to it? You do not cling to it the way you cling to your dreams, but it is such a part of you that
your fingers clutch it tightly. Release your grip. Hold it loosely. Ask God to take it away. Then let him.

Absolute trust in God means letting go of the illusion of control and having confidence in his presence in our lives, dirrecting us with wisdom and love. When we can truly believe this, we will find peace.

"The Eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you." Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT

In Matthew 14:29 Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the waves. He was taking a risk and putting his faith in Jesus. And all seemed to be going well, until his focus shifted to the strong wind and the waves. Then he began to sink.

In a moment of bravery we step out of our safety zones and into the ocean of uncertainty. We have a fleeting feeling of security, but then our hearts are flooded with fear as the difficulties loom over us with all the menacing power of a raging storm. And in that moment, we are no longer safe. We are drowning.

But the beautiful truth is that we don't have to drown. We can choose to be saved. Because underneath us are the everlasting arms, and all we must do is to cry out, "Lord, save me!" and he will catch us and hold us in his embrace.

I love the comforting words of the hymn:

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Don't let the waves suck you under and drown you. The struggles are real, the fear is real, but there is a power greater than the reality of your troubles. We may begin to sink, but we don't have to drown, for underneath us are the everlasting arms.

"You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free... Everyone who sins is a slave of sin... So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free." John 8:31-32, 34 and 36 NLT

Life is so complicated. We want to keep our eyes on God, to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ, but our focus so easily slips to other things. To the pressures of day-to-day life, financial struggles, work issues, emotional baggage, relationship conflicts, disappointments...

Our focus shifts from faith in God and the desire to emulate Jesus to our emotional responses to these things. And this opens the door for the enemy to slip in and whisper his lies in our ears.

What does Jesus say we are slaves to? Sin. But that doesn't mean just the obvious "big ones." Self-depreciating thoughts, anxiety and worry, hopelessness, these are sins that hold many captive. They reflect lack of faith in the power and love of God. They indicate that we have bought into the lies of the enemy instead of the truth of our Savior.

"If the Son sets you free, you are truly free." The first step to freedom is accepting Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior. This is so much more personal than mere church attendance and head knowledge. It is a life-changing relationship. We have new choices. In Christ, we are free.

Every day is a new challenge to claim the truth over the lies of the enemy. We've believed them for so long, they have become part of our thinking. What lies have you fallen prey to? Go back to the source of truth. It's time to live free.

"Suddenly a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. 'Lord,' the man said, 'if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.' Jesus reached out and touched him. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be healed!' And instantly the leprosy disappeared." Matthew 8:2-3 NLT.

When the leper came to Jesus he knew that while Jesus had the power to heal him, it might not be his well. Jesus didn't heal every lame, blind, or leprous person he met. "If you are will, you can heal me." Jesus answered, "I am willing."

God won't give us everything we ask of him, but one thing he wishes for his children is emotional and spiritual healing. We all carry emotional baggage, and sometimes stumble under its weight. We've all been wounded and sport the scars to prove it.

But we don't have to carry these burdens alone. Lord, are you willing to heal me? "I am willing." The question I hear him asking in return is, "Are you willing to let me?"

Why would we ever prefer to hold on to our fear and pain? But why is it so hard to let it go? If we truly believed God had the power to heal us, we would surrender it to him. "Oh, you of little faith..." Why does the burden seem more real than the God of the universe?

Perhaps because we don't see the immediate results as this leper did. Our emotional healing is such a long process, and one in which we must participate. But the Great Physician longs to gently lead us on a journey that will teach us to trust and love him more fully. There is much to be gained in the journey itself. Take the first step.

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romas 5:8 NLT

We seem to feel an innate need to earn God's love. If only we didn't use foul language and lose our temper, or if we attended church more regularly, we could feel more assured of God's approval. But despite all our flaws and imperfections, God loves us anyway.

It's unconditional love. We don't need to prove ourselves worthy of love: he accepts us just as we are. Before we had the opportunity to practice good behavior, before we were even born, Christ sacrificed himself for our benefit.

There's an unfortunate pressure in our society to earn love through different means. Women feel the need to be thin and beautiful to be loved. Men have to prove their strength and ability. And when we experience the inevitable rejections of life, we internalize the pain and it reinforces our fear that we just aren't good enough to be loved.

But true love has no conditions placed upon it. It encourages us to improve ourselves and fulfill our potential, but it doesn't wait until this is achieved. And God has given us the greatest example of unconditional love we'll ever need. Right now and in this moment, as imperfect as you are, God loves you.

There is freedom and joy in this truth. Yes, we should live to please him, out of gratitude and obedience, but not out of any obligation to earn his love. This he has freely given.

You don't have to be perfect to be loved.

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1 NIV

In Luke 4:21 Jesus read this passage and then proclaimed, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Today you and I can claim this reality for ourselves.

Along the way of life we've all had our hearts broken. We've all been wounded and scarred and are in need of healing. And Jesus came to bind up our wounds, to bandage them with love and tenderness. Physical cuts and bruises heal quickly and are soon forgotten. But emotional pain lingers long after the wound is inflicted.

The enemy wants nothing more than for us to continue to be held captive by our pain and fear. He whispers lies into our ears that reinforce the scars and keep us rooted in distrust and insecurity. He wants to rob us of the abundant life that Jesus offers. But Jesus came to set us free! He longs for us to know peace, joy, and love.

Give your brokenness to the Lord. He alone can heal your scars and set your captive heart free. If you fail to claim healing, in the end all you will have is regret. The enemy will have won. Close your ears to him: open your heart to Jesus. He longs to break your chains and to bring you out of the darkness and into the beautiful light of truth.